Among West Michigan leases of 2025, Romence Plaza gets the golden pickle.
The win is for PickleRage, a new tenant at Romence Plaza within the Shoppes at Romence Village shopping center in Portage, Michigan. The pickleball chain will be moving to the PlazaCorp Realty Advisors-owned site in the spring.
Vacant for many years, the 49,000-square-foot space had previously housed a D&W Grocery store.
The lease is seen as a meaningful contribution to the long-term strength and stability of the neighborhood, from bringing new synergy to the tenant mix to delivering new recreation to the area.
The pickleball facility is joining Lightning Kicks martial arts school and Kalamazoo Kitty consignment shop at the shopping center.
In a retail environment where tenant quality and relevance are increasingly critical, the transaction reflects proactive property management and underscores how leasing can strengthen both an individual retail center and the broader commercial corridor.
In recognition of its transformative role, PickleRage's lease was chosen by an independent panel of industry professionals within the market for a 2026 CoStar Impact Award.
About the project: "Thanks to the entire PlazaCorp team for their dedication and collaboration in making this lease a success, to the City of Portage for their support and to PickleRage for their vision and leadership in bringing this project to life," said Trisha Kidd, director of project management at PlazaCorp Realty Advisors, the owner of Romence Plaza, which is part of the Shoppes at Romence Village. This is PickleRage's third location in Michigan. Founded in 2023, it operates more than a dozen courts in the country.
What the judges said: "Of all of the leases, this was the most transformational," said Matthew Callander of Callander Commercial. Alex Cartwright of Ferris State University and HotelSHIFT Capital also noted that "retail is a difficult market, and this was a unique location and building."
They made it happen: Elizabeth Mohney and Trishia Kidd, both of PlazaCorp Realty Advisors, worked on this project.
CoStar Market Manager Patrick Riendeau contributed to this article.